The striped abdomen should separate Chickamauga Crayfish (Cambarus extraneus) from any other species in that watershed and a crayfish with long twisted pincers fits the description of Surgeon Crayfish (Faxonius forceps) so I'm guessing that's the one you're talking about. I haven't found that one yet and I long for the day lol.

I don't have any snorkeling gear but would be interested in coming to help if there's anything I can do

Chattanooga, TN alongside South Chickamauga Creek, just upstream of the mighty Tennessee River.

Posted 14 September 2018 - 06:25 PM

Tennessee River Rescue 2018 October 6 30th Year

I did a pre-scout today spending 3 hours in the water bare skin. I eventually got cold and figured the water was in the upper 60's. Visibility was reasonable at about 6', at times more with the light streaming in nicely. I gathered trash and piled it into the many submerged tires and found a big green mesh bag we had left behind last year. Some of the glass jars and bottles are from another age, the pre-plastics era of my youth.

I plan to do another scout before October 6. Downstream is the old mill site, i may send some of us there first. Plenty of trash and relics just downstream of the bridge and mill.

I have 9 folks that have expressed interest and will be sending them emails with details weekly. If your interested email me at prizma@aol.com.

While snorkeling today i observed lots of Logperch, a good sign in the long cobbled runs. Also Redlines, Bluesides, Snubs. Yellow Perch. Spotted Sucker, Redhorses, Stonerollers, Striped and Warpaint Shiners, big Bass, little Bass, Sunfish mostly Redbreast, Hogsuckers. A nice diversity in an urban stream. Crayfish, snails galore and a single loggerheaded Musk Turtle. Plenty more of everything if you look for critters instead of trash.

They selected my shirt design out of about 15 submitted and will be printing 1000 shirts this year. Each volunteer gets a shirt and i will buy my team a cajun dinner that late afternoon.

This is where i generally get in. A bit precarious on the steep downside no slide on the loose riprap rubble. You can see 2 of the 3 tires. I plan to leave the dozens of tires but may remove them next year with a better plan, proper gear and more muscle. But they are inert and are making ideal temporary trash deposits midcreek.

A brown glass gallon jug that is embossed ROMAN. ?

Lots of Pepsi, Coke and beer bottles, mustard, bleach, whiskey, medicine and plenty of unknowns. I plan to save the interesting unbrokens for someone to look through. Shards, cans, plastic, broken toys, auto parts... it is a treasure hunt of trash.

Casper CoxChattanooga, near the TN Divide on BlueFishRidge overlooking South Chickamauga Creek.

Chattanooga, TN alongside South Chickamauga Creek, just upstream of the mighty Tennessee River.

Posted 22 September 2018 - 12:19 PM

Tennessee River Rescue 2018

October 6, Saturday, 2 weeks away today.

This will be the 30th year and 1000 volunteers are expected, organized as site teams surrounding the Chattanooga area.

I'm hoping our snorkel team will number about 4 snorkeling wader and trash mongers and 2 stream bank hefters.

Bruce Bauer and i snorkeled the creek Thursday for another advance run. We began to dislodge tires, flushing them out and perching them cleaned in the log jams. We will need some muscle to pull them up the steep banks but i will have rope, snaps and gear to make it easier.

A few pics of the day...

Piling it up, many of these piles are now gathered.

This Bass ( Largemouth? )and another stayed with us most of the afternoon waiting for tasty critters to get dislodged.

Some of the many bottles retrieved. Subclass humanoids slung bags of trash into the creek as they drove along. Much of the bottles and cans are memories of my youth when about everything came in glass of all colors.

Another tire. It was kinda fun getting them ready but the flushing activity mucks up visibility downstream for quite awhile. Many are buried deep with only the sidewalls showing.

Afterwards i treated Bruce to a Cajun meal at J Gumbos. We had Red Beans & Rice, Crawfish Etouffee, and their Gumbo. I could not get him to share a slice of Buttermilk Pie which befuddles me!

We had a fun time and i hope to return in one more week for another advance snorkel. If you want to participate let me know. Final plans are under way.

Casper CoxChattanooga, near the TN Divide on BlueFishRidge overlooking South Chickamauga Creek.

Chattanooga, TN alongside South Chickamauga Creek, just upstream of the mighty Tennessee River.

Posted 23 September 2018 - 07:23 PM

I went back today... spent 6 hours underwater. Gathering more trash and bagging 5 bags worth. Added Carp and Shad to my ever growing list of North Chick species. Forgot the camera. Most common species were Logperch a plenty, Bluesides w/ black heads, Snubs, Bluegill, Redbreast and Shellcrackers. Old Chub mounds made of gnarly cobble. Schools of Warpaints and Striped Shiners.

Lightly rained on.

Casper CoxChattanooga, near the TN Divide on BlueFishRidge overlooking South Chickamauga Creek.

Chattanooga, TN alongside South Chickamauga Creek, just upstream of the mighty Tennessee River.

Posted 04 October 2018 - 04:52 PM

Though we had massive rains about 10 days ago the creek's water has receded. Though still a bit high and with less visibility it is a go for Saturday. Weather is perfect otherwise, warm, clear and dry.

Casper CoxChattanooga, near the TN Divide on BlueFishRidge overlooking South Chickamauga Creek.